A Move from God

God sent a move into my life. One I had not planned on. One that has humbled me, uprooted me, and changed me. I was appointed this year to serve in the Cheaha District as Pastor of Eulaton United Methodist Church in Anniston, AL.  I reacted like most people in the bible; I balked, I laughed, I cried, I pleaded, I whined and I complained. And God responded like the God of the bible with loving discipline, patience yet mercy.  I moved. And I decided to follow where God led me, after all I had committed myself to God long time ago and to the Itinerant System of the United Methodist Church. I prayed, prayed some more and I keep on praying.  God is not through with this old gal yet.

I have met some wonderful people here even as I said goodbye to the good people of Trinity in Huntsville.
God has opened some opportunities for ministry just as there were even in Huntsville.
God has provided wonderful fellowship even as there was in Huntsville.
God has provided a good home in a parsonage, although we are selling our house in Huntsville.
What is God up to?
So much more than I can even begin to imagine.

I haven't preached every Sunday in five years.
 I will now be preaching regularly every Sunday.
How do I do that?
I don't do it alone, God is there, the word is there, friends are there and the people are there.

I haven't been the sole Pastor in five years.
I am now.
What was God thinking?
I shared with one of the teams that I had to relearn how to do that and to please be patient with me.
They understood.

I am on and lead every committee.
Haven't done that in five years.
I forgot how to do some of the committees.
Its time to pull out the Discipline again and ask the teams to help me and to lead..

I am trusting God a whole lot to lead me, lead his people, speak to me, speak to his people, inspire me, inspire his people.

Stay tuned to where God is leading.

Where did the time go?

Where did the time go between my last post and today?

• Thursday; trip to Bham to a committee meeting that took longer than originally thought, wrote a rough draft for Sunday's sermon, and saw my therapist.
• Friday; caught up on office mail, phone calls, etc,went visiting in the afternoon. Kid's had ball practice in the afternoon. Tried to do the Friday five, but home computer gliched and I lost everything, lost my patience too.
• Saturday; spent all day at the ball park with multiple games, also took them to swim lessons.
• Sunday; Sunday morning meet and greet, worship prep, worship and preaching, Easter egg hunt and party at the church, choir practice, nap, and finished reading "Leaving Church'
• Monday, today; back in the office catching up on the office work, preparing for: a Wednesday talk, hosting a worship service on Thursday for two other churches, a sermon for Friday night, and a sermon for Easter Sunday, plus those who come by to talk, and ball practice this afternoon.

Now I know where the time went and is going, going . . . gone.

On the Road Again

I am on the road again. I will be gone from home from this Monday until next Tuesday late. First I will be at the Emmaus walk of the Alabama Cluster as one of the spiritual directors from Monday until Thursday.
Then Thursday, Bob and kids will pick me up for us to go to Avon Park, Florida for my Granddad's funeral. I am doing the funeral.
Then Sunday I am back at Camp Sumatanga for the Board of Ordained Ministry Retreats. I am on one of the Interview teams and I present an interviewee. It won't be as emotional for me, because I am not on the hot seat.

Yep, a lot of travel time, sitting time, eating and eating out. Using my mind, heart and soul. Long days, maybe even some sleepless night. Emmaus will be a very Spiritual time. The time in Florida will be an emotional time. The Interview Retreat will be mental, and wearing. So keep me in your prayers and I'll keep you posted.

A person in overdrive

I feel like a person on overdrive. Can I give that up for Lent?

Thursday had early morning meetings and phone calls, then I went to Huntsville for a meeting. Dealt with a death in a church member's family.
Friday I finished up preparations for my practice talk for the Walk to Emmaus on Obstacles to Grace, and worked on my sermon, and saw my kids somewhere in there. I think I fell asleep next to my hubby.
Saturday, drove back to Huntsville for the Emmaus Team meeting, did my practice talk. Came back to deal with family and then finish for Sunday morning preaching.
Sunday, preached. Dealt with family. Worked on my homily/meditation for Monday Morning Minister's Meeting on the second word from Jesus on the cross. Dealt with some church member's needs. I think I saw my family a little bit.
Monday morning finished up homily which included power point presentation, and then presented it. Then we discussed it and added our ideas. Came home around 2pm to work on my report for Board of Ordained Ministry for one of the candidates for Elder's orders in the Methodist church that was due that day. Nothing like working at the last minute. Got it in that evening. Went to a meeting that evening.
Tuesday went to Memphis to the Shea Ear Clinic to see what they could do about the ringing in the ears. It was an all day adventure. lots of testing. He does think he can treat the ringing, but I have to set it up since it is a three day outpatient treatment. Recommends hearing aids also. Came home, missed the eating out with the women once again. Spent time with my family, and then worked on things for today. Set up the church, the kids helped me set up the altar it looks neat for Ash Wednesday.
Today, I have been here since 7:30am for Ash Wednesday.I have had 3 people come at 10am. We had a brief yet meaningful service. So I have been working on the liturgy and sermon for tonight. Finishing emails that were delayed. Taking care of phone calls. Doing the bulletin for tonight. My secretary is out with her son who has the flu. Zachary is sick, Bob took him to the Doc, but she was not overly concerned. He took him to school, but then they called and said he had green snot coming out his nose and for him to please come get him. Zachary was glad to be home. He can't blow his nose yet, he breathes in instead which has made a simple cold worse.
Whew. I'll be glad when today is over. We have a Ash Wednesday worship service at 6:30pm. I am done when it is done.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a little less intense and busy.
I am coming out of overdrive and resting.

Oh and my 101 year old Grandpa is in the hospital in Jacksonville, and they don't know why yet.
And Bob is applying for Social Security. He actually seems relieved.

The Dreaded, "Youve been fired!"

Today, my husband got a call from the contract company he was working for, and they fired him. Of course it is the 90 days, and they will fire you for any little thing in that period. He was in absolute shock. He had no idea that it was coming. When he left Monday everything was okay. He was given some kind of an excuse that made no sense, and doesn't seem to fit. But they would not give him the detail. He then called the person whose name he was given to call, but no straight answer. He then called the two people he worked with that were over him, and they had no idea either. So now once again he is without a job. He is devastated, mad, and feels powerless. We have kind of boiled it down to what we think is going on, but we can't really say if that is true, because we don't know and haven't been told. But I bet he is right. Something "smells wrong in China." I am being as supportive as I can without letting my anger get the best of me or my sadness and scare. But the feelings are real. Say a prayer for him will ya.